Scammers always are plotting

...

I was wondering whether there are any phone scams around. Today, we received a call that our caller ID identified as "Dom Republ Call" with a phone number of 849-963-4863. We did not answer the phone, as we didn't know anyone in that area. The caller hung up before the answering machine could kick in.

— Leslie, Eagle Point

Are there phone scams in the Rogue Valley? Law enforcement officials say only on days that end in "Y," Leslie.

Carlson added that most phone-scam perpetrators target senior citizens, taking on the persona of a grandchild who is out of the country and needs money wired to them. It's apparently successful enough to be an ongoing problem.

"Once that money is sent, and that transaction has ended, it's most likely gone."

And the scams don't just come via phone. There are the ever-popular emails promising wealth from foreign royalty. Text scams also are on the rise, in which scammers take on a bank's identity to nab social security numbers and bank account information.

So it sounds like you made the right call in not picking up. Nicely done. We'd only add that if you feel compelled to call the police about your experience, do it. They'll pursue it as far as they can.

"Really, it falls on individuals to protect themselves," Carlson said.